Megitsune
by AlderaanGaming
Summary: How is it that a normal teenage girl can find herself tangled up with the supernatural not once but twice? Well, if your name is Kagome Higurashi, that's all part of the job description. First, the doppelganger of a priestess 500 years in the past. Now, one fifth of the world's spirit detective team. What could possibly go wrong, right?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **_This story is currently 51,000+ words, and 7 chapters have been edited. Chapter 14 is complete and chapter 15 is in progress, so I am finally comfortable posting it for you. Posting schedule will be on the 25th of every month unless I'm feeling particularly nice or get oodles of reviews. Thanks for reading!_

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><p>"Aiya!?" I screamed jolting up from a dead sleep, punching my alarm clock off my side table in my rush to silence it. Why was my alarm going off? It's four in the morning! Scrambling up out of bed, I shot to the kitchen where I could smell breakfast was just beginning. Mother was up far too early this morning. I could tell that she was likely cooking my favorite breakfast today- already beginning to smell the scent of bacon sizzling and coffee brewing. Mmmm. I missed coffee while I was in the feudal era. Boy, I could have used that stuff more than a few times. Okay, okay... every damn day. I'm a caffeine addict; I probably belong in some sort of meeting. I get headaches and everything when I don't have it. "Momma, why did my alarm go off so early? Did I do something wrong?" I asked flinching at the memories of a particular two in the morning wake up after she found out that I had failed my exams in June.<p>

Mother looked at me puzzled for a minute. "Oh, sweetie, you don't remember do you? You're switching schools today. You must not be fully awake yet. You never were a morning person... Well, that is, until we introduced you to coffee. Here." She said pouring me a steaming hot cup of black gold. I proceeded to pour the perfect amount of whole milk and raw sugar before stirring as I took my seat at the table. I relaxed, nursing the mug just below my nose so that I could let the fumes begin to let the neurons fire. "Better?" She asked after I took a few tentative sips.

"Yes." I sighed into the cup.

She sat down in front of me for a moment while the bacon sizzled lightly in the background. I can hear it, it's not imaginary, or just in my head. After a school year in the feudal era, the comforts of home would never be taken for granted again. "You remember where you're going today, right? Or do I have to explain?"

I huffed a bit- I'm not an idiot (despite my test scores) just not a morning person. "Sarayashiki Junior High. Why did I have to go so far away again?"

She stood and put her hands on her hips. "Because no decent school would take you after the way you failed your exams young lady. Now, I know that you said you and that young man saved the world- that's all well and good, but, you've got to take some ownership for the mistakes you've made! You wasted away your last year of junior high in the feudal era, missed three quarters of your school year, and failed all of your exams. Sarayashiki Junior High was the only school willing to take you so you can complete your senior year, Kagome. They are a school for delinquents and poor families to boot."

It seemed liked I was sighing a lot lately. "Stop insulting the lives of people you don't know. It's not that bad, mother. It's only one year, and this one will be a piece of cake since I know what to expect academically."

"Well, if I don't see a marked improvement in your attendance and grades within the first month, so be it, I'll put you into cram school for three hours a day. You won't have time to get into trouble then." She flipped the bacon angrily, making it hiss just like the snake demon I imagined her to be at that moment.

"Mother," I paused measuring my words. "I swear to you that you won't have to do that. Besides, the place has a pass/fail policy that you can't beat. Everything will be fine."

Her nose was almost in the air- like a predator testing the air for the smell of fear. "I'll believe it when I see it, young lady. Now, finish that up and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready when you come down."

"Thank you, mother." I groaned my resentment quietly and rushed out of there after one huge gulp of liquid energy, leaving my empty mug behind. I dressed in my blue sailor suit uniform in record time. Damn. Where was this thing while I was in the feudal era? "It's so much more modest." I thought while briefly allowing myself to imagine all of the times the change of outfit could have been to my benefit. The longer skirt and higher neckline... Then, I thought better of it. A year in the feudal era finding out that I'm the doppelganger of a priestess with all sorts of spiritual powers that I'm still learning about to this day, chasing demons, and hunting jewel shards with Inuyasha and our friends couldn't possibly be changed that much by a simple outfit change. Oh well. It's in the past now. I'll never be able to go back there again.

An hour later found me on a bullet train that would still only drop me 5 city blocks away from the school. I could see already that I was in for a lot of walking, something I did way too much of in the feudal era. Walking had been the only mode of transportation and I hadn't gotten to recoup. Well, that is with the exception of the summer, but, really, what is eight weeks' time? It was like I didn't get any rest, trying to catch up on all of the damn chores I had missed. Grandfather was getting older, and, since I was expected to take over the shrine as the first miko in our family in generations, I had to pick up the slack from months of near-neglect.

When I started to see other girls in sailor suit uniforms and boys in jumpsuits, I knew that I must be getting close. I followed the crowd and soon found myself at the front gate of my new prison. I walked to the entrance of the big, blocky building and followed the signs to the front office where I received my schedule and books. The woman was kind enough, but not at all nice to look at. In fact, not a single adult figure I saw here was at all easy on the eyes. It was the polar opposite of the feudal era... like some lazy artist didn't care what the adults would look like because they would be passed over as minor characters anyway. Aiya, this is going to be a long year.

I was walking along the hallway looking for my locker number when I bumped into a girl with straight brown hair, brown eyes that shone with happiness, and a very sweet smile. "Oh, I'm sorry. You must be new. My name is Keiko. I'm president of the student council. How can I help you?"

She seemed way too perky and helpful. It kind of worried me. I laughed awkwardly- an annoying habit of mine that needed breaking. "Well, you have me pegged, I am new. Could you help me find this locker number? I'm a bit turned around to be honest." She took the paper from me and started walking. How in the world she would know the location of my locker is amazing to me. There are literally hundreds lining the walls. I guess she must have gone here for freshman and sophomore year. I listened to her as she pointed out where my classes would be on the way and gave me some tips based on the teachers. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

She stopped at my locker and pointed to a door on the other side of the halfway. "That's your homeroom. They try to get your locker as close to it as possible. I'm in the other 9th grade class. We're... accelerated. Anyway, a bunch of my friends are in this class, so I'll see you around Kagome."

My head turned around in shock. "How did you know my name? I never told you." I asked, eyes wide.

She pointed at the top of my schedule. There was my name. Now I felt stupid, like the 'idiot' Inuyasha insisted I was when we first met. "Oh. Well, thank you. I'll see you around Keiko."

I walked into class just before the bell rang and gave my schedule to the teacher to sign. I had to introduce myself to the class, and, then was told to sit in the empty seat in the back of the room. I wound up behind an abnormally tall red head and next to an angry looking boy with black, slicked-back hair who was wearing a green jumpsuit instead of blue. The teacher pretty much ignored us all in the back and, despite trying to listen, I was distracted by the redheaded boy passing me a note. 'What did you do to be in the bad student section already?' I read.

I responded between writing the notes that were written on the board. 'Missed a lot of school last year. I was really sick. Failed all of my exams. This is the only school that would take me.' I explained my cover story for what seemed like the millionth time.

He was quick to respond- clearly not interested in writing any of the notes down. He must be one of the delinquents mother was talking about. He must cram all night before tests and manage to pass, somehow. 'Figures that Mr. Iwamoto would hold that against you. Don't worry. His class is pretty easy being history and all. He's just a jerk, so steer clear. You're better off going to a tutoring session with the other 9th grade class than going to him for help if you need it, of course. Name's Kazuma by the way. Kazuma Kuwabara at your service Kagome. I'm the baddest guy here at Sarayashiki junior high.'

I had barely finished reading the last note before another message was passed to me from the guy out of uniform in the green jumpsuit. 'Hey, been readin' over your shoulder. Don't let that idiot fool you. He couldn't beat me in a fight if I had both hands tied behind my back. You really rock the sailor suit by the way. Wanna cut class and go smoke on the roof?' For my benefit, he signed his name, Yusuke Urameshi.

My eyes got wide as I read. The answer should be no, but something told me yes. After a moment of deliberating, I responded. 'Not today. I have to get all of my new teachers to sign a form. Soon. I promise.' If my mother ever found out, she would be pissed, but somehow, it felt right being friends with this guy. I closed my eyes and expanded my senses. There was no flicker of energy coming from either of them, but I just knew that there was something special about both of them. This could clearly be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The rest of the day was uneventful, and I spent the hour long train ride home with a smile on my face, having made some new comrades in Yusuke and Kazuma.

By the time September began, a tentative friendship had already formed between Yusuke and me. We cut class a couple of times a week, but we were sneaky about it in ways that I never thought possible. We would ask to go to the nurse and then not come back or just walk out while certain teacher's backs were turned. Yusuke had such a badass reputation among the student body that nobody bothered to rat him out and, since I was quickly becoming one of his closest friends, everybody turned a blind eye my way as well. It was a miracle that we never got caught, but it was also very cool that my attendance never took a hit. Otherwise, my mother would be beyond pissed.

I did notice certain significant changes in Keiko in the few months of friendship with Yusuke. She used to drag him downstairs to class every day after lunch. Then, towards the beginning of October it became less and less ending all together just before late October when tragedy struck. I suppose she was angry that Yusuke had managed to find another friend, let alone a female one. She had been his only outlet for so long that she didn't seem to know how to handle it. We ended up coming together through the sorrow and passion of our loss, though.

Contrary to popular belief, Yusuke really is a nice guy, just misunderstood. He saved a little boy's life by pushing him out of the way of a car and taking the hit himself. Yusuke was a hero for a brief moment in the eyes of the city, but then he was gone. That day, I called my mother begging to stay the night with Keiko. She didn't want to be alone, and, although I was sure she resented me, I wanted to be there for her. He was as close a friend with me too. I understood her feelings better than anybody.

The night I spent with Keiko after Yusuke's death was the first night since I came back from the feudal era that my Miko senses noticed a presence. I looked at Keiko's form briefly after noticing. Thank goodness she was asleep. I looked towards the presence and focused on it. "Yusuke, if that's you, this isn't funny." I whispered, still feeling the slight tickle on the back of my neck. It didn't _feel_ menacing or evil. "Keiko and I need to get some rest before your wake tomorrow." I groaned after some time of sitting and waiting for something to happen. Finally, I moved to lay down. "If you have something to tell me, you should be able to contact me in my dreams. Goodnight, you bastard."

My dream that night was unlike any I had ever had before. Yusuke and I simply sat on Keiko's bed and spoke long into the night. Apparently, the underworld wasn't prepared to take Yusuke today. Apparently, there was almost zero chance that he would have rescued that kid, and they didn't create a spot for him- whatever that means. How could you predict that kind of stuff anyway? Yusuke told me that he had to decide if he wanted to go through a trial and live or choose to die. I begged him to face the trials. He made this whole school, the whole town, bearable. It had only been a few months, but I could tell that we were in the beginning of something that would be a lifelong friendship. Besides, it was obvious that Keiko needed him still.

I woke the next morning feeling like I hadn't actually slept all night. I could still sense Yusuke in the room, so I smiled in his direction after checking that Keiko was still asleep. "Do what you want, Yusuke, but know that we at least, still want you here... except for while we get dressed. You need to leave now." I stated before proceeding to ignore him and wake Keiko up. Before we got changed, I made sure that I sensed no nearby presence briefly pondering if a ghost would feel a sacred arrow or if it would pass right through him.

I wouldn't know it until years later, but I changed the course of Yusuke's life that day, if only just a bit.


	2. Chapter 2

We held a wake for Yusuke since I couldn't exactly go off telling his mother that his disembodied spirit spoke to me in my dreams. I could be committed, and, then, where would this story go? Anyway, the following week was touch and go for everyone. Keiko was an emotional mess and Kuwabara accepted a challenge from a teacher to not fight for days (abnormal at best- the guy has a death wish, I tell you) _and_ pass a test that he would, under normal circumstances, not pass. However, based on the feelings I- and Kuwabara- kept getting, I knew Yusuke was around watching over us. All would be well.

I didn't actually hear anything from Yusuke until almost a week after his wake when his family's house (and his, still-living body- I guess his alcoholic mother, Atsuko, discovered that he was breathing before they started to do any burial rituals to his body) nearly burned down. Keiko, the poor thing, had to rescue him. From what I heard, she almost died, but a mysterious, blue glow surrounded her. Somehow, she was able to escape safely. I wouldn't find out until later that this was Yusuke supposedly sacrificing his chance at life to rescue the one he loved- his real trial. I wish I hadn't gone home that night. I would've helped Keiko rescue our mutual friend. After the trial was passed, Yusuke informed me that he just had to wait for a certain day when he needed someone to kiss him, in order to come back to life.

Now, normally, I wouldn't trust a guy when he tried to tell me something like that, but with Yusuke it was different. I believed him. He needed life energy- I just knew it. It was my innate miko senses kicking in- not that I would be telling anybody about them for a while. On the given day, Monday, after school, I dragged Keiko to Yusuke's new apartment. This one wasn't trashed by his mother and her drinking buddies yet. I secretly intended to make sure that it stayed that way after remembering the state of the old place during several visits to care for Yusuke's body.

We let ourselves in with the key Atsuko had given Keiko- apparently potential girlfriends get this privilege in Atsuko's eyes. I imagine it is so Atsuko can cover up her neglect of Yusuke by letting someone else share in his caretaking.

We walked to Yusuke's new bedroom and I uncovered him to find that the golden hue that Yusuke had explained to me had already crawled all the way up to his shoulders during the day. "You've gotta kiss him, Keiko. Otherwise, he won't come back." I looked at her, wishing she would hurry up. I mean, we did still have about six hours left, but why wait? Maybe I should tell her to wait for a few hours just to make him sweat. I would love to see his reaction to that.

She hesitated with the cutest look of innocence on her face, like she felt dirty for getting ready to kiss a comatose guy. "Why does it have to be me? Why not you? How do you know all of this, Kagome?"

"Keiko, I know that this is seriously fucked up, I mean, we had a wake and everything, but I need you to not question me right now. Please kiss him. I will explain everything later." I still hadn't told her- or anyone for that matter- about the bone eater's well and Inuyasha. I wasn't ready to. For now, it would be only my burden. Maybe, one day, I'll feel comfortable enough to talk about my experiences, but I needed to keep this close to my chest for now in order to hold myself together. I still had too many open wounds regarding the feudal era to speak openly about my time there.

Keiko clicked her tongue at me in the most condescending way I could imagine, kind of like my mother. Then, as if pretending the moment didn't happen, she knelt down next to him. "Fine. Today, I'll let it slide, but I'm going to want answers soon." She turned her head away with a smug smile.

I wanted to growl at her and say some not-so-nice things, but I am a fucking lady. "Aiya." I sighed instead. "We'll see."

She ever so slowly brought her lips down onto his and I could almost feel the love radiate throughout the room. They might not even know it yet, but they loved one another very much.

What Keiko thought Yusuke and I had together was nothing compared to this. Our new friendship couldn't hold a candle to this old, childhood love. Admittedly, I was jealous of what they had. I couldn't imagine myself finding something like this. I am damaged. I am drawn to and stuck within a very supernatural world. I would be lucky to find anything like this. The force of their love almost brought me to my knees. I smiled for them until I noticed something odd.

It might just be me, but it seemed to almost take too long for Yusuke's spirit to make it back into his body- almost like it didn't quite stick right. I mean, it is kind of an unnatural process right? Coming back to life must take a lot of energy and time… I ignored the thought after his body started to move. Keiko pulled away from him, but only just. We both heard him whisper, "I can't believe it takes me actually dying to get a kiss from you, Keiko." Then, Yusuke sits up and looks directly at me with knowing eyes. He would not be taking no for an answer when he asked about my past. "Thank you, Kagome. I can only imagine what the last few weeks would have been like without you around."

I smiled, their happiness was infectious. I swear it wasn't my own. "You won't be getting rid of me any time soon. It seems that you guys really need me around here. You're stuck with me now."

He laughed. "Yeah, I'll admit it. We sure do need someone like you around to keep us in check. It was fate that sent you here. I can feel it. You're going to be with us for a long time, Kagome. I hope you don't mind it."

"Not at all." I said before we all gathered around and watched some TV, chatting into the night. I didn't even remember that I needed to call my mother. Tomorrow, she was going to be pissed.

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><p>After a thorough reaming from my mother the next morning, I stormed to school in a cloud of my own rage. Stomping through the yard, everybody gave me a wide berth. It wasn't long before I found Yusuke lazing on the roof once again. He wasted no time. "What has you so ticked off, Kagome? You start your period or somethin'?" He asked in that stupid 'I know this will piss you off, but I'm totally innocent' voice.<p>

I rubbed my temples trying to assuage the oncoming headache. Sometimes, when I get angry, my spirit energy acts up, and it takes so much concentration to control it that it gives me a migraine. "Shut up, Yusuke."

He jumped down to my level and sat next to me. "There's something wrong. Tell me about it. Maybe you'll feel better." I shrugged. It couldn't hurt. Besides, I needed to take my mind off of things to prevent the headache. "My Mom is pissed that I didn't come home or check in last night. I don't think that she realizes that by the time I get home it's already nine o'clock, and I've been awake for seventeen hours. Staying up to finish homework is not possible, so my grades suffer. I told her that I want to stay in town during the week, but she says that she can't afford to do it. I understand and all, but it's just an unending, vicious cycle. I'm frustrated is all." I said all in one breath. "On top of that, the argument happened before I had any coffee this morning, and you know how I get."

Yusuke laughed at me and nodded at my last statement. Then, after a brief moment of thought, he piped up. "You know that you can always stay with me and my Mom for free, right? Just help us keep the place clean, and we will foot the rest of the bills. She won't even notice you're around."

"Are you sure you don't want to ask her first? I don't want to impose." I asked tentatively. I had intended on keeping the place clean, but I was going to do it out of kindness and friendship not obligation.

He nodded. "Yeah, the child support my Dad sends is the only steady income we've really got, anyway. I've been her free ride for a long time, Kagome. I can be yours too. I'll even get you a house key just like Keiko has." He chuckled merrily.

I laughed and nudged his arm playfully. "Now I feel special."

"Hey, Kagome?" That serious tone had my attention quickly. When he saw that he had my full attention, he continued. "You were able to talk to me while I was a spirit. I didn't know you very well- we were just starting to be friends and all, so I shouldn't have been able to do that. Or, at least, that's what the people in spirit world said." I nodded for him to continue. "How was that possible? What are you?"

My eyes closed. How do I explain everything that's happened? Best start with the easiest bits. "Well, I'm human, but I'm also a miko." He blinked. It would've been comical if I weren't feeling so high strung right now.

"So, you're a priestess? Like at a shrine and stuff?" I almost laughed. Almost.

"Well, I live at a shrine, but, no, I mean..." I sighed. "What I mean is that I have the spiritual powers that priestesses are said to have- the ones that we talk about in history but are never upheld when actual priestesses are tested." I growled at myself and my stupid explanations. "This is so hard to explain."

A new female voice entered the conversation before I could continue. "Maybe I can help." She had shiny blue hair and bubble gum eyes. When she smiled, her eye teeth were huge, but she had the gentle demeanor of a kitten. She was wearing the sailor suit uniform and holding a silver briefcase in her hand. It didn't look like a regular book bag to me. In fact, it gave me a tingling feeling in the back of my neck- like it had its own spirit energy. Is that even possible?

As I assessed our surprise visitor and her mysterious briefcase, Yusuke's eyes practically bugged out. "Botan?! Is that you? Am I dead again?" He scratched his head in the lamest cartoony way I could imagine even pinching himself a couple times to verify that he was indeed still alive. I began to cackle, finding the entire situation strangely hilarious. It must have looked like I had lost my mind.

I was interrupted by Yusuke poking me in the face, looking back at Botan. "I think we broke Kagome."

I sobered when I heard those words. "I'm fine. This is just... so surreal. Not even six months ago I was... and now. UGH! I should just tell you so that I don't have to censor myself every five minutes."

Botan waggled her finger in my face. If she wasn't careful, it was going to get bitten off. "Not to worry, my dear. I have the video tape of your adventures over the last year. Spirit world was very interested in your particular case. Why don't we get comfortable and watch the highlights so that Yusuke is on the same page as you. It will keep me from having to explain a lot too."

So, we sat down and watched essentially a mix tape of my last school year. It was comprised of all the best moments and scenes. We saw me go to the feudal era and meet Inuyasha and the gang, the battles between Naraku and countless other demons, the romance between Inuyasha and me, and the defeat of Naraku in addition to the closing of the portal at the bottom of the bone eater's well.

That's when it happened. Finally, a single tear dropped from my eye. It was the first tear I was able to shed for my comrades from another time. I hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye to them.

Now, I was weeping openly. I went through all of that- failed all of my exams- for what? A peaceful future that I already had?! No. I had nothing but a bleak future and miko powers that I didn't fully understand. Nothing seemed to be going my way since I came back from the feudal era. I wish I could go back. I wished it every day up until I met Yusuke at Sarayashiki junior high.

My tears subsided quickly and I apologized for embarrassing myself. "Kagome, seriously, it's no big deal. You're only human. Uh, miko. Er, doppelganger. You know what I mean. You've been through a lot. Let it out." Yusuke urged.

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my face. "No. Really, I'm fine now."

Suddenly, we were all interrupted by a toddler that started talking on the briefcase slash laptop screen. "Well, it's about time. Yusuke, now you understand the world of demons and their dangers. It's time that you undertake your new job in order to repay the underworld for bringing you back to life.

"J-job?" Yusuke stuttered out, confusion written all over his face.

The toddler nodded. "Yes, coming back to life generally leaves people with more of a connection to their spirit energy and the world around them. You will likely be able to sense the supernatural more now that you have been intertwined with it yourself. Thus, with your already present skill set, you more than qualify to be Earth's next spirit detective. Do you accept? Yes?! Brilliant! Let's begin your first mission immediately. Botan, you take it from here. Koenma out."

"But, Master Koenma, sir! Why do I have to...?" Botan stammered scrambling to find something to say that would stop the prince of the spirit world, but found no success. The screen went black, and she growled for a moment with fire in her eyes like she was ready to give Koenma a good whack upside the head. Then, she turned to us and explained our mission. Why us? Because I heard the whole damn thing. We were in this together. Like peanut butter and jelly or some shit.

Botan went on to explain that we needed to obtain three artifacts of value to the spirit world from three demons that just so happened to be in town. Very convenient, very convenient, indeed. It's like there is no danger anywhere in the world but in and around this particular town for some reason- like some lazy writer only dealt with what they knew and nothing else. Not that I'm complaining. Let's face it- anything that involves a commute is a bitch. By this point, we all know how I feel about trains and going home on a nightly basis, right?

So, after Botan had us fully equipped and trained on the spirit detective gear she happened to drag along with her (this woman's briefcase is like Mary Poppin's carpet bag, people), we set off in search of our three demons. Of course, thanks to me, we found the first demon in record time. This demon's name was Kurama, he is actually a demon trapped inside a human body. Years ago, Yoko Kurama was injured and on the run; his only choice to survive was to use the strength that he had remaining to transfer his essence into an unborn human child.

Over the years, he has grown into two separate personalities: Shuichi- the human and Yoko- the demon. You can only tell the difference by looking at his eyes. When Yoko is dominant, he has golden eyes. They are green the rest of the time. He is called Kurama when both personalities are in harmony- equally dominant. It is also his 'human fighter' pseudonym. When we found this demon, he explained that his deepest wish was to use the Forlorn Hope to save his human mother's life. The caveat of using the Forlorn Hope is that the person who uses it must sacrifice their own life in order for their deepest desire to be fulfilled. When I heard this, I scoffed at him which may have seemed cruel in the moment. I walked away towards where I felt a human life fading. I was unsurprised to find Kurama's mother laying in a hospital bed asleep and in pain. She was weak, but I had been able to manage this once or twice before.

Without asking forgiveness or permission, my hands went to work and began to glow with spiritual energy. They roved above her body as I searched for the feeling of darkness that made her ill. Once I found the evil feelings within her, I concentrated on sending my energy into her body, focusing on destroying and purifying that darkness. I don't know how long I stood there at her side, but I was able to rid her body of all the bad energy I could sense. She was going to be alright. When I finally pulled away, I realized that my spiritual energy was at an all-time low. I was getting ready to black out.

Before I could do so, Kurama returned the Forelorn Hope to Yusuke without a fuss. Easy peasy. "Thank you. I've never seen a human with so much spiritual energy. Your stamina is impeccable. You must be a very powerful miko, indeed." Kurama said calmly. He seemed serene in this moment, like he didn't have a care in the world.

I laughed and held onto Yusuke's shoulder for dear life. Without his steadying arm holding me around the waist, I would be on the floor right now. "You should've seen the feudal era. There were humans with powers beyond your imagination. They had to survive in a world that they shared with demons. It was amazing."

Kurama nodded with a smile. "Yoko says that he quite enjoyed that era, but he was just a young kit at the time. I almost wish I could tap into those old memories. I'm sure it would be fascinating."

I perked up at Kurama's revelation. It was very interesting that I had met another fox demon, so I had to ask. "Did Yoko happen to know of another young fox demon named Shippo? He was a good friend of mine back then. We went on all sorts of adventures."

Kurama paused for a long moment as if he were having an internal debate (in truth it was probably a whole conversation going on in there). "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he insists that I tell you that he is, in fact, your friend Shippo. At his coming of age ceremony, he adopted his father's name as his own in order to throw off a potential enemy that was looking for him at the time."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- **I'm posting this a week early since this coming week is going to be chaotic at best. This doesn't change my regular posting schedule. See you on February 25th. Happy Valentines Day.

Realized that I never put in a warning and disclaimer. Since chapter one and two are fairly innocuous, I figured that I'd add it in here.

**Occasional adult language, more than occasional sarcasm, violence (including but not limited to blood shed, death and decapitations), eventual sex, murder, mentioned (if not vividly depicted) alcoholism, kidnapping, gambling, and other adult themes. Due to this websites restrictions, I would refer you to a link on my profile that will lead you to the other website on which I post this story. They allow (and probably even encourage) detailed lemons.**

_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, trademarks, and companies are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot (honestly, there is not much of either of these) are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. See fair use act for further information._

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><p>If it were possible, my jaw would've literally been on the floor. "Shi-shippo? You. Are. Shippo? There's no way. It's too unlikely…" I rambled in circles- my voice soft and full of disbelief mixed in with something else. Something that I haven't felt in a long time. It was almost a foreign feeling at this point- Hope. I had given up on this feeling for a long time. I was never going to be able to go back and get the closure I so needed. Maybe I could find a shred of it here with my former friend.<p>

Kurama's demeanor suddenly changed entirely while my mind wandered through the probability of this situation. It was a staggering moment; I could see a change in mannerisms, hear the different inflections in his voice. In front of me now was Yoko, and, although it was buried while Shuichi was dominant, I knew the truth- my instincts told me so. This was Shippo, all grown up. In the present, he felt different, old. Like hundreds of years had changed him, but the things I knew to watch for- the ticks, the habits. They were there. This was him. This was actually happening to me; this was not a dream.

Kurama walked closer and pulled me into an embrace. "Kagome, we all missed you so much after the battle. So much has changed... We have so much to talk about, but we need to get you some rest. I can tell you are ready to pass out."

I laughed giddily in my joy, and, consequently, I felt the room spin around me. "Oh Shippo. For you it's been hundreds of years; for me, it's been only months. I don't even know how to process this. I don't even know what to call you." I managed to grind out right before my knees buckled under me.

Neither of the boys let me fall- catching me on either side in their arms. I half expected to be hauled out of there by my hands and feet before Kurama looked at me strangely with pursed lips and a frown. Then, without a single word to anyone, he swiped me up into a bridal carry ignoring the look of dismay on Yusuke's face. Apparently, Yusuke didn't quite want to trust him with me yet. "We need to get her home." Kurama stated matter-of-factly to Yusuke. "She's going to pass out any minute."

Yusuke flinched like he wanted to argue but couldn't. "I want to help, but I can't. I still have to go hunt down your two former friends and their artifacts. Take care of her, and I will check in with you by morning. Wish me luck." Yusuke warned before dashing from the hospital room faster than the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. Kurama nodded and turned to walk us towards the elevator bays located near the center of the hospital. He strolled leisurely as if carrying me took no extra effort. It probably didn't, but I still worried for him. He may need his strength if his demon buddies found out that he'd practically gone turncoat on them.

When we reached the outside, I breathed a sigh of relief. The stars in the sky were bright tonight; they were always a comfort to me, and the hospital was exactly the opposite. My spirit awareness can sense a lot of things, and the hospital is absolutely riddled with illness and death. It was draining to even visit let alone heal a person so close to death. The walk was brisk and very short. It was almost as if this house was chosen for its proximity to the hospital. I was saddened to think that it probably was. When my head was lain on a pillow and my body found a soft mattress beneath it, I finally gave into the darkness that had pulled at me for the last few minutes.

I came to several times during the night, only briefly seeing glimpses of Kurama working on plants using spirit energy at the desk nearby before being pulled under by the waves of darkness once again. When I finally pulled myself out of my stupor, I rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. No dizziness. Good. Looking at the glowing object on the bedside desk, I grimaced. It was already eleven in the morning. Mom was going to be so pissed. Now, I know that the attendance design at my school allows for unlimited absences as long as we pass, but, still, just seeing a single unexcused absence could set my mother off. I was so fucked when I saw her next.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Kagome." Said the jovial voice of none other than Kurama. I briefly remembered hearing him whisper words of friendship and encouragement during the night. Being largely unconscious, I can hardly vouch for whether they were for me or the plants, but something told me that he doesn't normally talk to the plants aloud. Shaking off sleep, I turned my tired head in his direction. I was in desperate need of coffee. It's been more than 24 hours. I needed my fix.

An unabashed smiled was plastered to Kurama's face this morning. I almost wanted to wipe it off his face. That was the pain of a caffeine headache talking. The rest was the fact that I could still go for some more sleep. Oh well. I guess I'm up now. I rubbed my temples and groaned with _absolutely _no sarcasm. "Thanks. Glad to be here." Why does everything have to hurt?

This reaction earned me a toothy smile from Kurama. "What hurts? I have herbs that will help."

I shook my head. "Nothing that your herbs can fix, I'm afraid. I used too much spirit energy yesterday. My body just needs to build up its reserves again. I'm not used to using so much in one go."

He nodded curtly, still smiling. "In that case, I can help in a different way."

He stepped closer and knelt next to the bed I was on- his bed, no doubt- offering me his hands. When I took them, I started to feel energy pour into me. His spirit energy. It was warm and gave my whole body a tingling sensation. It made me feel powerful. This was the best high I imagine a person could ever feel. Well, that is besides… you know what? Let's not talk about that right now. This was pretty intimate without thinking of dirty thoughts.

Since it was obvious that I didn't need to control things on his end (he would stop when he needed to), I started concentrating on the things in my body that needed healing. After a short while I began to feel better, but he was still channeling his energy to me. I opened my eyes. "Thank you. I feel much better." I felt a loss when his energy flow stopped, but I tried not to show it. He seemed almost out of breath when he let go. The damn idiot. "You've given me too much. Look at you."

He grinned mischievously at me. He knew what he was doing. "No. Never better. Now go help that boy fight Hiei. He's going to need you."

I nodded in determination standing properly for the first time since my healing session at the hospital. "Thank you, Kurama. Remind me to talk to you about what to call you next time I see you. You have too many names!" I smiled before marching out the door with purpose.

* * *

><p>I felt myself take over Shuichi's body for the first time in many years, and it was all because of a woman whom I had met five hundred years ago. She was just as beautiful as the day I met her. No, more so. But she was broken now. Her strength had made her my goddess. If only she were a kitsune, we could be so much... More. We spoke little on the way to my home- her falling in and out of consciousness in her exhaustion. Once I placed her body onto my mattress, she was out like a light for the rest of the night. Never before did I ever have a more enjoyable sleepless night than this one. Watching her chest rise and fall peacefully calmed me like nothing else could. For a brief moment, I could imagine a life like this, with her. But it would never be. I came to this world with a plan, and I would see it through in order to go back to my old life again. I just had to live out this body's life sentence until I could escape.<p>

Deep into the night, my mind had spun in the same circular thoughts, arguing with myself. It didn't help that Shuichi liked this girl and felt that he owed her a great debt for saving his mother from certain death. I spent my time productively giving my spiritual powers a workout growing medicinal herbs. I feared that she might need them, given the length of time she spent asleep after expending so much energy.

When she awoke, there was so much that I wanted to say. To ask. Everything fell from my mind when I saw that she had not yet recovered her strength yet. In the past, she never depleted her energy like this; she wasn't used to using so much energy in one sitting at all. From my scant memories of that time, I hardly remember her shooting more than 3 sacred arrows at a time, and, tonight, she healed a body for over an hour. It was quite impressive, but very stupid. She didn't even know that she had enough energy to complete the task. I must admit that I even considered jumping in to help with energy then and there, but I didn't.

Now, I have to help her replace it, so that she could help the spirit detective. I took her hands and did the most intimate thing possible- I shared my energy with her. I knew immediately that she didn't understand the gravity of what we were doing, and, knowing this, I couldn't help but grip her hands longer than necessary sending too much of my strength to her. She was grateful when the exchange was complete, and practically sprinted out the door to Yusuke's aid. Her actions made a smile form on my lips almost of its own accord.

I curled up in the bed and lay in the same place as she. It smelled of her essence, and I reveled in it as I felt Shuichi slowly take over. When I was once again that nagging voice in the back of Shuichi's mind, I planted the seed in his head. 'We need to see her again. Soon.'

'Yes. She's very... special.' He replied. He tried to hide it, but I could see that he had feelings for the woman. For once, we were both on the same wavelength.

That day, we shared a dream. No, an old memory from when I was only a kit- Shippo. It was the memory of the last time I saw Kagome in the past. We didn't speak directly, but I watched a confrontation between her and Inuyasha. I vividly remember wondering why I could sense my own spirit energy within her, and trying to figure out how she, a priestess, could possess a demonic aura. When I awoke from my slumber, I decided to file these memories away for now until the time for understanding finally came to pass.

I would not have to wait long.

* * *

><p>I managed to catch up with Yusuke in the park. He informed me of all the important bits of his fight against the big, stupid guy, Gouki. He had managed to get the Orb of Baast back after defeating Gouki with only a little help-slash-distraction from Botan. Apparently, this dude was trying to use the orb to feed on kids' souls. Sicko. Kids? At least go eat some delinquents at the arcade or something. Am I right?<p>

Even though I was very proud of Yusuke's solo battle accomplishment, I was very frustrated with the situation. I missed out on all the action! Here I was rarin' to go after a spiritual transfusion of sorts, and I missed the fight. I'm sure my frustration was palpable because even Yusuke gave me a wide berth until we decided to split up for a few hours in order to look for the third demon's energy signature. This boosted my spirits because damn it all to hell if it wasn't going to be me that caught the asshole.

On my leisurely stroll through the park, I remembered Kurama's initial concern about us fighting Hiei. It almost made me laugh. Shippo and I fought so many strong foes back in the feudal era, and I'm sure he's battled even stronger demons during the interim. I wonder what has him so riled up about this one, small demon. I mean, Koenma said he was only five foot three! How bad could he be? Right?

A rustle in the nearby bushes alarmed me. On high alert, I immediately summoned my sacred bow and arrows. Nocking an arrow and using my spiritual energy to guide my aim, I was ready to strike at a moment's notice. Another rustle and I lost my cool. Releasing the nocked arrow and another soon after, I waited for another sound or movement around me. None came. "Too easy." I whispered cockily to myself at the same time as another, male voice behind me. Realization struck only long enough to register danger. Then, there was nothing but an all-consuming darkness.

I came to in some sort of shipping warehouse. Part of me smiled on the inside when I imagined myself in the amazon warehouse, but I know some people who work for them. If this were that warehouse, I would have been found already. I was surrounded by shipping crates and packing boxes. A pallet jack sat unused off in the corner, and the air felt heavy with dust, like nobody had been here for a while. The lack of human life nearby was almost definitely Hiei's doing either by coercion of some sort or by more direct means.

"Where are we?" I asked in the strongest voice I could muster. It still wavered. I was alone with my enemy, and, although I had spiritual energy, I knew now that I was not necessarily stronger than this demon. I wondered, though, why I even survived to wake up. Why am I still intact? He had every opportunity while I was out… A clattering nearby jolted me out of my thoughts. I had to keep my wits about me.

Hiei appeared out of nowhere in front of me, a hysterically short, black haired demon with highlights of white and blue. Even beneath the black trench coat, though, you could tell that he was built like a brick shit house. He was lethal. His only weapon seemed to be a sword, but I knew better now. He was fast and intelligent for a demon. Normally, a demon like him wouldn't have much in the realm of spirit energy, but I suspected that Hiei would be the exception to the rule.

Without meaning to, my lips parted and I screamed for help. My shrieks got me nowhere as he ran at breakneck speed to cover my mouth with his hand. "Do shut up you insufferable twit." He snarled before removing his hand and replacing it with his headband quicker than you can say 'gag me'. My now muffled screams began anew as I noticed a third eye beginning to open on Hiei's forehead. Then, I was frozen in place. I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried. It was like he simply wished for ropes to tie around me, and invisible ones did his bidding. "I took you from that overgrown monstrosity you people call a park hoping to turn you into a demon only to find out that this..." He looked at the blade menacingly, like he wanted to destroy it with a glare. "Sword won't do anything to the likes of you. What are you, wench?" He now turned his steely gaze upon me and I wanted to flinch, but my eyes wouldn't obey. It was practically piercing into my being.

Hiei smiled menacingly. "Oh, a miko. I see now. You were a demon exterminator in a past life." He taunted. "No wonder I have this undying urge to change you into a demon with this sword. Poetic justice for the demon hunter to become the hunted. Don't you think?" I sat cooperatively for now while my mind whirled trying to find a solution to my predicament; He didn't seem to like it. "How many more cuts do you think it will take before your energy runs out and you don't purify your wounds any longer? I'm willing to bet that I can push you over that limit before your little friends show up."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cocky, assholish voice came from the other side of the warehouse. "Hiei! I felt some demon energy coming from here. You better have Kagome wrapped up nice and safely in one of these boxes with a goddamn bow on it, or prepare to have your face knocked in!" I sweat dropped. Yup, that would be my knight in shining armor, Yusuke, coming to the rescue. There would be no mistaking that attitude anywhere.

During Yusuke's screaming fit, Hiei became distracted, and I was suddenly able to move. Thinking quickly and summoning my spirit energy, my sacred bow and arrow appeared. I nocked back as fast as my arms would allow and, not bothering to aim, used extra strength to make this an arrow that would seek him out if he dodged. I released and watched Hiei realize his mistake and begin to run around the warehouse trying to shake the sacred arrow. I began to laugh uncontrollably, and that is the state that Yusuke, Botan, and Kurama found me in- rolling on the floor laughing at a short demon with a sword and three eyes running from a purple arrow that followed his every move. Yusuke and Botan's funny bones kicked in and followed me into the giggle fest shortly thereafter.

Kurama was the last to crack, letting out a single chuckle at the situation before summoning a plant that wound around Hiei's body, constricting his movements and allowing my arrow to strike him in the shoulder, effectively pinning him to the concrete walls of the warehouse.

Yusuke ran to me once the danger had passed. He pulled me into an awkward hug. "Kagome! Thank God, you're okay. We were so worried." I pulled away hoping that he didn't take offense; I wasn't exactly used to my friends in the past hugging me, and I didn't want him to get any ideas about us. He may be clueless, but I knew that he meant a lot to Keiko. She has her heart set on him even if she won't really admit it.

The silence that followed made me realize that Yusuke did, in fact, initially take offense. Dammit. Better break the stupid silence. "It's okay. I'm glad that it was me and not Keiko. She would've been turned into a demon if she were sliced by that sword. I just purify myself on pure instinct, and I turn out just fine."

Yusuke seemed to come out of his stupor at the mention of Keiko. He nodded in understanding with a grin for my benefit. "Thank you, Kagome. You don't have to help me with any more of these missions. They're awful dangerous to have a girl running around. I've got it from here. I promise."

I nudged him playfully in the gut. I hope it hurt. "Yeah, right, buddy. You wouldn't know what to do without me. Besides, in the past, I fought right alongside everyone else and everything turned out just fine. I'll tag along and keep an eye on you. You're more liable to get hurt than I am. If you won't take care of yourself, someone ought to, and I accept the responsibility." This statement seemed to make Kurama very quiet suddenly- even more so than usual, that is. I would have time to think about that much later because, first, we still had some work to do.

We cleaned up the mess at the warehouse covering up all the evidence of intrusion that we could, and Botan carted the restrained Hiei via oar to the underworld to be punished by Koenma. All of the artifacts were returned safely, and all was well for the time being. Yusuke, Kurama and I decided to celebrate with a meal at the Yukimura's restaurant.

It was now Friday night. Another two days of school missed. I was told by my guidance counselor that Sarayashiki's policy was if I passed my final exams and maintained a C average, I would be promoted to the next grade, regardless of attendance. It was a pretty sweet deal they set up to deal with the delinquents like me and Yusuke. Still, I wanted to make an effort to be in class; I wanted to please my mother and make my family proud of my achievements. And yet, I felt so much more alive using my powers, fighting, and saving people. I couldn't see my life without this, I just needed to figure out my path from here. Something told me that I needed to stick around Yusuke to learn exactly what that was. There was something that I rarely shared about being a miko- our instincts were rarely wrong.

We were finishing off dinner with a couple of sundaes. My mind must've wandered away for too long because hands waved in front of my face. "Kagoooome?" Yusuke sung.

"Huh?" I muttered as I was pulled out of my inner monologue. I shook the thoughts from my head and my cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. Drifting off is so unlike me, but it just seems like there is so much to think about lately. Like Kurama's reaction to my wanting to help out in Yusuke's cases. What kind of reaction was that? I'm so confused.

"There she is!" Yusuke announced, embarrassingly enough, in a loud clear voice to the entire restaurant. "What are you thinking about in there and not cluing me and Kurama in on, huh?" He pointed at me menacingly with his spoon.

I shook my head. "I'm just wondering what happens next. I mean... there can't possibly be another huge problem like this one right away. Can there?" I lied while watching Kurama's reactions carefully.

"Nah. I imagine it will be pretty quiet for a while." Yusuke mentioned between overly large bites of vanilla goodness.

Kurama just smiled and kept eating knowingly. I could almost sense his thoughts in this moment. He had to have been thinking. 'Yeah, right. Spirit world will come up with some evil for you to face by the middle of next week.' And so they did.


	4. Quick Author's Note

Author's note:

This author's note will be replaced by Chapter 4 on February 25th in congruence with my posting schedule. I noticed that this... lovely... website decided to delete all of my line breaks. I'm sorry if that confused anybody. It has been fixed now.

Also, I would like to request signed review from you guys. I would love to reply to you guys, but it is not worth it for me to turn off anonymous reviews either.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you all a quick update on the fix. I will make my best effort to remember to correct the line breaks when I post to this website in the future.

~Alderaan


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